Call it Courage
by blueskykisses
Summary: Seven years after the Hero of Time defeated the evil of Hyrule, something strange begins to happen. Now Link must not only find out who he is, but he must uncover the secrets of his past.


A/N: My first Zelda fiction! Woohoo! This is based off of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, 7 years after the end of the game. I'm completely disregarding Majora's Mask simply because it would mess with my story line, heh. Anyways, I hope you like.

Oh...and, yes, a lot of the story will NOT seem right at all, and it may seem that I have a lot of facts about the game or characters wrong. All I can say is...just read. It'll all make sense eventually, heh.

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**Call It Courage**

CHAPTER ONE

A Beginning

Link rubbed into his forehead. There was something _wrong _about today, despite how desperately he was trying to rationalize it away. _It was just a dream..._he thought to himself, but this dream was unsettling as hell. He looked about him, trying to blind himself with the beauty of the day. The sun was warm and the world was still, with the exception of a dry breeze that played between the blades of grass. Link gazed out at the water of Lake Hylia. The sky was gorgeously blue, only to be mirrored by the magnificence of the reflection below. Epona pressed her nose into Link's shoulder and breathed warmly in to his shirt. Link looked down. It was his seventeenth birthday today, and the King was holding him a birthday feast in only a few hours.

Link was never quite sure what caused the King to take such a liking to him. He supposed that it was because the King was so fond of his father. He was constantly reminding him of how great a man his father was...but what exactly his father did while he was still alive was beyond Link. He had only gotten up the courage to ask about his parents once.

_"You're parents?" The King responded stiffly, twisting his nose in uneasiness as he said it. "Like I've told you, boy, you're father was a great man who did great things, but tragically died shortly before you were born." The King noted the unfulfilled and eager look on the boy's face. "Well...what is it?"_

_"What...what about...my mother?"_

_"You're mother!"_

_Link stared back with innocent eyes. Bright, beautiful, innocent eyes._

_"You're mother was a gorgeous woman. But she was also unstable and unfit for this place. You're better off without her, you know. She died in one of her episodes. I still say _she_ was the one to _kill_ herself. She was a crazy broad...and I still don't see _how _you're father loved her..." The King began to trail off as he spoke._

_"...but...but what...do you...mean?" Link's childish voice piped in fear. The King diverted his eyes and stared down at the twelve-year-old boy with grimace. _

_"That's enough. Let's dabble in the past _no more_. And hurry with you're chores."_

Link stood up and sighed. "I suppose there is nothing in the past for me. I can't even remember anything from before I was ten or so..." He spoke to no one, except perhaps his cinnamon horse as she beamed with radiance in the afternoon. Link had received Epona as a gift from the King when he was thirteen for his devoted efforts to the upkeep of the stables. It was obvious from the beginning that Epona had taken just a strong of a liking to Link as Link had to her.

* * *

Link dashed his way across the open fields of Hyrule. Nothing could touch him when he was free like this - not even the sickness in his stomach or the demons eating away at his thoughts. His dream was _still_ sitting uneasy with him, but he wouldn't let it get to him, not today at least.

Epona galloped majestically into the Royal Stables. Link hopped off onto the straw covered ground below. There was something oddly comforting about the stables. The sheer quite and gentle golden streaks of sunlight that peered in through small opening in the wood combined together to make Link feel at home for some reason. He paused in his thoughts. This really was his home. Sure, he had been living in the palace for as long as he could remember, but it had never felt like a home. It was always bright and open, with marble and gold at every turn. It was pristine and wondrous, but not meant for Link. Besides, the stables were where Link worked to keep his room and board and thusly, where he spent most of his time.

Suddenly, Link turned around with a start. His thin elfish ears caught the sound of quite footsteps - a figure was approaching. He recognized it immediately as the princess. Her thin silhouette moved like silk against the sunlight that poured in through the wide stable door. Link put Epona's saddle away to make himself busy as the princess approached.

"Good afternoon, your highness."

"My, must you _always_ be so formal with me?" She stammered with agitation, while still retaining her regal finesse.

"Well...you _are_ the princess, princess."

Zelda beamed back at him with her purple eyes. "Father wants you inside, to prepare for tonight." She added. "And look at you, covered in dust." She gently pushed some dirt away from his cheek with her thumb. Link blushed and involuntarily stepped back, showing his uneasiness. Zelda grabbed his hand and pulled him along, out of the stable. "Oh, and happy birthday...youngin'." She giggled.

It was true. Link was a year or so younger than Zelda. She had been 18 for about a month and a half now. Her birthday festival was a brilliant spectacle of white pearly ribbons, exotic costumes, magnificent music, a bountiful feast, and firecrackers that lit up the night sky and replaced the need for the stars. Even since that night, however, Link had felt so uneasy when he was around her.

_In the midst of all the excitement, Zelda found a moment of flawless escape and pulled Link into an empty corner. _

_"Link..." She said softly. "You know...according to Regal Laws, I'm technically a woman now. And...and well, I am to be wed by the time I reach twenty...and well, that's only two years from now...and...and..." Link noticed how nervously she twitched her hands as she stood talking more to the ground than to him. "And we've always been such good friends...and" She flashed her eyes to his._

_"Princess!" Impa strode over. "Princess...you are wanted by your guests." A mix of salvation and disappointment fell over Zelda's face._

_"Yes. Alright." Zelda nodded shyly to Link as her face grew red and she hurried off. Impa turned to Link and nodded with a knowing smile._

_"Don't worry about it." She winked and disappeared back into the business of the celebration. _

_Link simply stood there, not really knowing what to do._

Not a word of that moment was ever shared again between the two. For that, Link was secretly grateful. He wouldn't have had the slightest idea of what to say to her if she had continued. Although, he at times found himself wondering how the night would've ended, had Impa kept her distance.

Link and Zelda passed beneath the grandiose of the main entrance, Zelda now clasping her arm around Link's. "Father! I've found him!" She jested as her smooth voice danced between the walls.

The King approached, decked out in luxurious attire. "Link my boy!" His cheeks were rosy and his eyes beamed with awe. "We haven't seen you all day! Where've you been?"

Link looked down and scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "Just getting things done, that sort of thing." Link laughed a bit, more because he wanted his answer to seem lighthearted rather than having its real meaning of 'I wanted to run away from this place for a bit' show through.

The King laughed. "But it's your birthday, boy! You shouldn't be busying yourself like that! Now go on and get ready for the celebration. I had Impa lay out a _very_ gentlemanly attire for you in your room." The King winked, causing his wide nose to bend out of shape ever-so-slightly. He turned to his daughter. "You too, my dear."

With that, the two went their separate ways to prepare for the evening to come.

* * *

Link stared out his window, watching the shadow of nightfall over the Kokiri forest far off in the distance. Then, out of nowhere, Link could have sworn he saw something glimmer between the trees. He squinted his eyes, but it was gone. _I must be imagining things...besides, the forest is _far_ too far away to _really_ see anything... _he rationalized in his mind, knowing that he was lying to himself. His stomach began to tighten and the same eerie feeling he had from his dream the night before began to stretch itself out into his body. He felt dizzy, everything was moving, he couldn't see, he couldn't breathe, and then...

A muffled call came from behind the door. "Master Link! They are ready for you! ...Master Link?"

Link snapped open his eyes at the sound of the maid's voice and groggily rubbed his forehead. He had fainted.

"I'll be down in a minute Elisa." His groaned as he rubbed his forehead. His head was _throbbing._

Elisa replied with her usual "Alrighty!" in her kind and cheery voice and then scurried off to relay the message to the King and his daughter.

Link stood himself up, leaning against the window ledge for support. He breathed in the warm night air and closed his bedroom window.

* * *

Downstairs, several guests were arriving. Link had never had a birthday celebration before, and if it weren't for the waves of nausea that were passing over him, he would be as eager and excited as the rest of the occupants of the room. He approached the regal family and the King embraced him with a hearty pat on the back. "Link my boy! You look sharp in that. Impa picked a nice outfit for you, eh?" The King was as jolly as ever, and Link could sense a hint of alcohol on his breath.

Link looked himself over. He was decked in while silk, and couldn't help but think that he must have looked absolutely regal. His shirt was a bit looser than what he was used to, but seemed to flow with his every movement. The sleeves were long but came together at his wrists and gleaned; it was definitely woven from exotic, high quality silk and threads of gold. His pants were of tight brown leather, and his boots were clean and new. "I'd say so." He laughed happily, knocking away his attention from his unsettled mind. He noticed that Zelda was eying him. She looked absolutely stunning. Her hair was done up and threaded with golden ribbons. Her dress was of a pale pink and was accented with gold at every chance. Her bright purple eyes drank in the world around her as her glossed lips cracked into a smile.

"Shall we?" interrupted the King. Zelda turned to him and nodded with energy in approval. Link saw Zelda's action and, unsure of what to do, nodded as well.

Link moved as the King and his daughter did and was brought to the courtyard where he was taken back by the spectacle before him. Silver streamers and several strands of light illuminated the darkness. The night was absolutely glowing and the air smelled sweet with the sent of sweet food and the flowers of the garden combined. Dozens of people filled the outside space and were delightfully entertaining themselves with conversation and dance.

...And then it hit Link: this was all for him. _Every_ last bit of it was _for him._ He began to feel dizzy again.

TBC...


End file.
